Hungry for More: Romantic Fantasies for Women - just published! With stories by Tiffany Reisz, Greta Christina, D.L. King and more. 21 fantasies, from "Kitchen Slut" to a cougar to Craigslist sex to BDSM to bukkake to watching two men get it on, and more!

Monday, June 21, 2010

HOW TO LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY is the newdocumentary-in-progress by Therese Shechter, director of theaward-winning and provocative I WAS A TEENAGE FEMINIST.

When a bridal consultant effusively tells Therese, a40-something sex-savvy feminist planning her first wedding,she looks virginal in her white wedding dress, it setsher on a journey to uncover why virginity still holdssuch importance in our hyper-sexualized society.

Her growing tension around chastity-based wedding ritualsis the narrative backbone of the film, but the true targetis idealized, fetishized virginity: its historical role inU.S. culture, its power to mold and damage a girlºsself-image and self-worth; its commodification as somethingmanufactured, sold, given away, taken.

What is behind this strange American cultural moment whereDisney starlets flaunt purity rings while writhing onstripper poles, brothels hold million-dollar virginityauctions, and artificial hymens can be had for $30 on Chinesewebsites?

Therese plays the audience's navigator, decoding a landscapeof conflicting and hypocritical messages about what it meansto be a 'good girl' or a 'bad girl' - and why it matters. In the end,she follows the white organza road, not only to her own non-whitewedding, but also to a place where young women can have open,non-judgmental conversations about their own sexuality.